Solid state image pickup devices combining a photodiode and switch MOS FET have been well known. Such an solid state image pickup device has been reported in the Laid-open Pat. No. 152382/1981. A television camera for monitoring and household use utilizing said solid state image pickup device is provided with the automatic aperture at the optical lens.
Lens used with automatic aperture requires rather complicated mechanical parts, resulting in enlargement of lens and increase in manufacturing cost of television camera. Moreover, said automatic aperture mechanism is composed of rather complicated mechanical parts and therefore the question of reliability arises because of problems that may result from friction of the mechanical parts.